


Lovely Night

by ArchitectOfTheStars (AdaEinar)



Series: Plance Fics [10]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, IT MAKES SENSE IF YOU READ IT, Impaired Decision Making, Mutual Pining, Overthinking, Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Pidge | Katie Holt, Rom Coms, almost confession, but just because they're tired (and flustered), but not as much fluff as my usual fare, hypothetical in-universe au, inspired by a song but not a song fic, it's just a lot of pining, self aware characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28695363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdaEinar/pseuds/ArchitectOfTheStars
Summary: At a late night party under the stars, Lance and Pidge overthink the situation they're in.----"You know, this could be really romantic," Lance mused.“Itcouldbe?”“Obviously, it’s not,” he said, gesturing to the cool night air with a gloved hand. “I mean, we’re friends. For something to be romantic, there has to beromancegoing on, and our relationship is platonic. But, I don’t know,” he glanced at the stars again. “This seems like something from a rom com or something.”“I don’t watch many rom coms,” she smirked. “Care to elaborate?”
Relationships: Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt
Series: Plance Fics [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933597
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	Lovely Night

**Author's Note:**

> I saw an incomplete Plance animatic to the song “Lovely Night”, and I had this idea and my brain wouldn’t let me sleep without writing it. Keep in mind that this is unedited, unrevised, and unplanned, so it’s probably going to suck.

“You know, this could be really romantic.”

Pidge turned to Lance, but he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were fixed squarely on the stars. The faint light from the Coalition party behind them didn’t do much to illuminate his face, so she couldn’t make out his expression. All that could clue her in to his mood was his voice, and even with Lance, she wasn’t good at reading people’s voices.

“It _could_ be?” She frowned at the strange wording. Where was he going with this?

He shrugged, finally turning to her, and gave her his trademark smile with that one raised eyebrow and the slightly tilted head. Pidge looked away slightly, praying the light from the party didn’t illuminate _her_ face more than it did his. If he could tell she was blushing . . .

“Obviously, it’s not,” he said, gesturing to the cool night air with a gloved hand. “I mean, we’re friends. For something to be romantic, there has to be _romance_ going on, and our relationship is platonic. But, I don’t know,” he glanced at the stars again. “This seems like something from a rom com or something.”

“I don’t watch many rom coms,” she smirked. “Care to elaborate?”

“Alright,” he said. “You asked for it. If this were a rom com—it isn’t, but if it were—here’s what would happen: you’d come out here to get away from the party, and also to brood about the fact that I don’t seem to be interested in you. You—”

“Uh, hang on!” she snapped. “I’m not _brooding_ —”

“Yeah, yeah, but if this were a rom com, you would be. So anyway, you’re cold and frustrated and overstimulated. I notice you walk away, and since I’m as infatuated with you as you are with me—”

“Which is not at all—”

“Rom com AU, Pidge, rom com AU. Suspend your disbelief, ‘K?” He winked. “Anyway, I walk over to you and we pour out our hearts in brief, quiet dialogue. You get cold, I give you my jacket (because we’d be wearing civilian clothes, not armour), and we look at the stars. End scene.”

“You . . .” She swallowed, trying to cover up the two embarrassing facts that 1) she had actually watched enough rom coms to know that his summary was spot on, and 2) she wished that this ‘rom com AU’ were reality. “You sure watch a lot of rom coms.”

“. . . yeah, let’s pretend it’s because I have sisters, and not because I’m me,” he said.

“Sorry, your secret’s out! I recorded your confession and I’m going to send it to Keith.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I might,” she said, putting a hand on the utility belt of her armour. She didn’t really have any kind of recording device with her, but why tell him that? “I could be persuaded otherwise, though.”

“And what would that take?” he asked. He sounded, ever so slightly, genuinely worried.

She tapped her lips thoughtfully, having fun playing the coy, teasing one for once. He got to do it, unintentionally, way too often. It was about time they switched roles. “Hmm, I don’t know. I mean, I’d be sparing your manly pride. That’s worth a lot, right?”

“Pidge, come on.”

She adjusted her glasses, giving off her ‘pondering genius’ aura. She didn’t actually have any outward signals when she was thinking, she just did it for the benefit of those around her. It did give her time to actually debate with herself, though.

Pidge had figured it out a while ago that her decision making skills were significantly impaired at night. Not because she was tired or stupid—she was smarter at night, actually—but because she was more emotional. She, like pretty much everyone else, would be more likely to confess something to a friend or parent at night (that’s why sleepovers were such gossip mills). She overreacted to issues and felt the lows of her life much more intensely right before bed. And, she was far more likely to take risks she’d consider ludicrous during daylight hours.

That increased risk-taking was good when you were, say, swallowing your nerves and signing up for a math competition, or entering a new robotics club. But when you were having a conversation with your crush?

Being more audacious was a huge issue.

“I’m still a little confused,” Pidge said, trying to fight the urge to sound flirty. “Could you show me what this ‘rom com AU scene’ would be like?”

“Uh . . .” For once, Lance didn’t seem to know what to say. “You mean, like, act it out?”

“For demonstration purposes. I’m always trying to learn, and since I’m a representative of earth, I should be aware of this major facet of human culture.”

He raised an eyebrow, and she cringed inwardly. She always got wordy when she was nervous.

“Sure, I . . . I guess.” He cleared his throat, then gave her an elaborate bow and said in a British accent, “So, Madame Holt, hast thou retreated hence to seek refuge from the festivities—”

“Woah, woah, hold up,” Pidge said, snickering. “You’re British? I’m French? We’re living in Shakespeare’s era? Also, there’s no way you’d be using ‘thou’ with me. That would be way too forward and familiar—”

“Well, we’d be friends in this rom com, right?”

“I don’t know, would we?” Pidge stared into his eyes.

He stared back. “Um . . . well . . . we’d have to be pretty different, if we were in love with each other,” he said slowly. “You know. Since we’re not in love now. To exist in a world where we love each other, we’d have to be very different people.”

“Why? Are you saying you can’t love me, with us this way?” She held his gaze, daring him to look away.

“No, I’m saying _you_ can’t love _me_ ,” he said. “I’d have to be at least as smart as Hunk to catch your eye, and I’d be a completely different person if I was that smart.”

“Lance—”

“Also, you’d look for someone more serious. Since, you know, you always call me a goofball. Smart, serious me? I think I’d be pretty different.”

“Lance, that’s not true at all, you’re great—”

“So, the point is, I don’t know if we’d be friends. But I like to think we would be, even if we had different personalities.” He finally looked away, smiling slightly. “You know? I like the idea that our friendship crosses universes like that.”

She stared at him, her mind spinning. Did he really think she couldn’t fall in love with him the way he was? Also, why did he sound like he almost _wanted_ her to love him? And . . . he cared that much about their friendship?

He looked more serious, and more somber, than she’d ever seen him. Even Pidge, unaided by light or natural empathy, could see that. And that was enough to break her. Her stupid, night-impaired brain made her open her mouth, stepping forward, reaching for him. “Lance, I—”

“Anyway, yeah,” he said, kicking the grass. “Obviously this isn’t a romantic scene, but it seemed like a good setting for one, so I just wanted to mention it.”

Before she could answer, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. It was quick, light, barely there, but it was enough to freeze her staring forward, eyes wide, face red.

He didn’t notice, because he was already hurrying back to the party.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, Lance, you’re sending some mixed signals there, don’t you think?
> 
> I wrote this in like half an hour, and also it’s late so my decision making is as impaired as Pidge’s. I’m probably going to regret posting this tomorrow, but whatever.


End file.
